Kid’s Saddle Shoulder Sweater – Free Crochet Pattern

I have been on another stuck-on-one-kind-of-project kick lately and this time it’s sweaters!! When I first started designing in 2011 all I wanted to design were sweaters. There is just something so special to me about them and I really do think I take the most pride in the sweaters I’ve designed over the years (not that I don’t like my other projects!!).

So when I learned about a knitting technique of working from the top down with little seaming, I decided to try and adapt it to crochet. Guess what? It works so well!! This sweater is worked from the top down so you can try it on your little one as you go and it requires very little seaming. In fact, the ONLY seaming is to close the ribbing!! I’m so in love with this new method (for me, at least!) and can’t wait to try more designs using this method. They won’t all have the saddle shoulder, but the next few will. I’m actually pretty in love with it.

I chose Lion Brand Heartland for this sweater for the gentle color changes in each strand. I love the way they look and the feel of this yarn is great but not fussy about care. For a three-year-old’s sweater I figured this yarn was perfect. It turned out even better than I had pictured and I love the brown accents with the blue.

My little guy absolutely loves his sweater and my testers have reported that their little ones feel the same about theirs. In fact, they don’t want to take it off and that really makes my day. I’m making all of my boys a variation of this sweater – the crew neck version is in testing and I am even more in love with it (if that’s even possible!!).

Gauge: 12 sts and 16 rows = 4” [10 cm] in sc with larger hookNote: stitch gauge is more important than row gauge

PATTERN NOTES

Sweater is crocheted from the top down, starting with the CC saddles. The back is worked across the saddles to the armholes, then the front is worked to the armholes and the pieces are joined. Sleeves are crocheted around armhole edges, leaving only the ribbing to be seamed.

Shoulder shaping is achieved using short rows. When working back across the row, sc in the next st as usual. After a few more rows it should lie relatively flat.

PATTERN

Saddle (make 2)

Row 2: Ch 2, hdc blo in each hdc across, working last st into ch-2, turn.

Rep Row 2 until Saddle measures 2 ½ (2 ¾, 2 ¾, 3, 3 ½)” from beginning, ending with WS row. Do not turn at end of last row. Fasten off at end of first saddle. At end of second saddle, change to larger hook and MC.

Work even if needed until sleeve measures 9 ½ (10 ¼, 11 ½, 12 ½, 13)” from first round of sleeve. Work 1 row sc in CC. Change to MC and smaller hook.

Sleeve Ribbing:

Work same as body ribbing.

Fasten off.

Collar

With RS facing and larger hook, join CC with sl st at bottom right of V. Ch 1, sc evenly along right front, working a sc in every other row of front, sc across saddle and back neck sts, second saddle, and along left front, working a sc in every other row of left front, join with slip st, turn.

Reader Interactions

Comments

I made this with the same yarn in red and followed the pattern and instructions. My ribbed cuffs and collar do not lay flat, they are ruffled. I took them out and went to a smaller hook and the collar is a little better, but it is still too big and rippled. I also skipped some stitches to ake more room for all the stitches. The cuff still looks too big also. I can’t see anything I did wrong.

Hi Gail! I’m not sure what is going on with the cuffs and collar. I think going down a hook size was a great idea, maybe try again and instead of just skipping some stitches skip every other stitch and see how it looks that way. Did you watch that part on the video? I worked my ribbing in every other stitch. I hope this helps! I’ve had several people make this and it worked out with every other stitch. 🙂

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